Copy medium feed device

ABSTRACT

In a copying apparatus having a multi-stage copy medium magazine, a copy medium feed device includes a feed roller resting on the uppermost one of copy mediums contained in each of copy medium magazine members, a drive source for driving the feed rollers, and means for connecting the drive source to the feed rollers selectively and indispensably.

United States Patent r191 Kitajima et al.

[451 Nov. 18, 1975 .154] COPY MEDIUM FEED DEVICE [75] Inventors: Tadayuki Kitajima, Yokohama;

Masashi Suda, Irima, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo,

Japan 22 Filed: 0a. 10, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 404,909

[30] ForeignApplication Priority Data Oct. 16, 1972 Japan 47-l03467 Oct. 16, 1972 Japan 47-119497[U] Oct. 16, 1972 Japan 47-119498[U] [52] US. Cl. 271/9; 271/114; 271/117 [51] Int. Cl. B65H 1/28; B65H 3/06 [58] Field of Search 271/9, 111, 114, 117; 221/123, 259; 74/384 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Eisner et a1 271/117 X 5/1970 McHenry et a] 271/9 X 3,601,394 8/1971 Lang et al............ 271/9 X 3.753.560 8/1973 Kapral et a]. 271/9 10/1973 Aronson et al. 271/9 X Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant Examiner-Bruce H. Stoner. Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or FirmFitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto [57] ABSTRACT In a copying apparatus having a multi-stage copy medium magazine, a copy medium feed device includes a feed roller resting on the uppermost one of copy mediums contained in each of copy medium magazine members, a drive source for driving the feed rollers, and means for connecting the drive source to the feed rollers selectively and indispensably.

10 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 1 of5 3,920,238

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet2of5 3,920,238

U.S.' Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 3 of5 3,920,238

US. Patent Nov. 18,1975 Sheet4of5 3,920,238

STOPPER2 F 28 27 US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet50f5 3,920,238

FIG. 90

COPY MEDIUM FEED DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION driving the-feed rollers, and means for connecting the "drive source to the feed rollers selectively and indispensably.,The feed device of the present invention may further comprise means for adjusting the lengths of the respective copy medium transport passageways from y the respective copy medium magazine members to the drive control and the distance adjustment of the copy medium transport passageway during feeding in a copying apparatus having a plurality of copy medium magazine members. v

2. Description of the Prior Art With the copying machines of the type employing invention will become more fully apparent from the folcopy mediums such as photosensitive paper, transfer paper, insulative paper or cloth, it has often beenthe case that the class or type of copy mediums is selected in accordance with the size of an original to be copied and the purpose'of the resultant copies, whereafter copy process station. The feed device may further com- 'prise a" mechanism whereby all the feed rollers normally resting within the respective copy medium magazine members can be simultaneously spaced apart from .fthe magazine members during replenishment. of copy mediums.

' The above objects and other features. of the present .lowing detailed description of various embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,

. BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the copy medium feed device according to an embodiment of the present intern whereby copy mediums of different classes different in size, quality of material or other factor can be loaded into respective ones of plural copy medium magazine members. The provision of such plural magacopy medium magazine members in order to couple a I r the feed change-over mechanism in the copy medium gfeecl device having a two-stage copy medium magazine.

drive source to the respective feed rollers. Therefore, a number of gears and other transmission elements, whose rotations are normally unnecessary, are always rotated with a result that the torque to the drive source is unnecessarily increased to impart an unnecessary load thereto. Further, the clutch mechanisms provided for the respective copy medium magazine members have limited the simplification and cost reduction of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION vention for use in a copying apparatus, the device having a two-stage copy medium magazine.

FIG. 2-is a cross-section of the device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a copy medium feed device having a three-stage copy medium magazine for use ina copying apparatus.

FIG; 4'schematically shows an embodiment of the feed change-over mechanism in the copy medium feed device having a two-stage copy medium magazine.

FIG. 5 schematically shows another embodiment of FIG. 6 diagrammatically shows a switching circuit applicable to the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a copy medium as it is being nipped between transport rollers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in

a copying apparatus, a copy medium feed device having a plurality of copy medium magazine members in which copy mediums are fed from the copy medium magazine members with the torque to the drive source being minimized by a simple mechanism.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a copy medium feed device in which the length of the copy medium transport passageways from the respective copy medium magazine members to a copy process station are adjustable to a predetermined length to thereby synchronize the movement of any of various copy mediums with the copy process.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a copy medium feed device in which loading of copy mediums into the copy medium magazine members can readily be accomplished by simply opening and closing a lid or like member in the copying apparatus to thereby release the pressure imparted from the respective feed rollers tothe copy mediums.

To achieve these objects, the copy medium feed device according to the present invention comprises feed rollers normally resting on the uppermost ones of copy mediums in the form of cut sheets within a plurality of FIGS. 8a and 8b show an embodiment of the linkage in the feed change-over mechanism for the copy medium feed device having a two-state copy medium magazine. FIG. 8(a) shows the position of the linkage when a movable gear meshes with a lower gear; and FIG. 8b shows the position of the linkage when the movable gear meshes with the upper gear.

FIG.2 9a, 9b and 9c show a mechanism for lifting the feed rollers during replenishment of copy mediums. FIG. 9a is a side elevational view of an embodiment of an arm mechanism which is provided, in order to lift a plurality of feed rollers simultaneously; between respective shift plates; FIG. 9b is a top plan view illustrating the operations of a opening-closing member and a wire; and FIG. 90 show a modification wherein the wire is replaced by a link mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The copying apparatus provided with a two-stage copy medium magazine which will hereinafter be described as an embodiment of the present invention is an transfer type using a photosensitive medium. Each copy medium leaving the copy feed device of the present invention is conveyed to a conventional copy process station A, not shown.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodimentof the present invention which includes copy medium magazine members I and 2 for containing therein copy mediums P1 and P2 of different sizes in the form of cut sheets, the magazine members each being a boxlike container readily detachable with respect to the device of the present invention. To selectively feed the copy mediums P1 and P2, a copy medium feed changeover mechanism is provided with a first and a second drive gear 3 and 4 driven from a single prime mover M, the second drive gear 4 being adapted for selective connection to transmission elements 5 and 12 to feed a desired one of the two types of copy mediums P1 and P2.

For example, when a copy medium P1 is to be fed, the second drive gear 4 may be connected to the transmission element 5 to there by rotate power transmission means 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in succession, which in turn results in rotation of a feed roller 11 engaged with the rotary shaft of the transmission means 10, thus feeding .a copy medium P1. Likewise, when a copy medium P2 is to be fed, the second drive gear 4 may be connected to the transmission element 12 connected to power transmission means 12, 13 and 14, which transmits the drive to a feed roller 15.

In accordance with the present invention, sets of transport rollers 16, 17 and 18, 19 are discretely provided for copy mediums P1 and P2, respectively, and these transport rollers constitute timing rollers which ensure the mechanism to effect the feeding simply and reliably.

A copy medium P1 being so fed passes, as shown in FIG. 2, along a transport passageway 20 to the transport rollers 16, 17 which transport the copy medium along a transport passageway 21 to transport rollers 24, 25, through which the copy medium passes along a transport passageway 26 to the copy process station A. Likewise, a copy medium P2, if fed, passes along a transport passageway 22 to the transport and timing rollers 18, 19 and further along a transport passageway 23 which ultimately joins the aforesaid passageway 21 for copy medium P1, whereafter the copy medium P2 is passed to the copy medium process station A by the transport rollers 24, in the same manner as described above with respect to the copy medium P1.

However, in the present embodiment wherein a discrete pair of timing rollers is provided for each stage of the multistage copy medium magazine and used for the transport, there would be produced a difference in the nipping position of the timing rollers as shown in FIG. 7, if the copy medium contained in the respective copy medium magazine members are different in surface properties and thickness. Should a copy medium be transported with such difference remaining in the timing rollers, it might result in misalignment of the copy medium at the copy process station.

To avoid this, the feed device according to the present invention is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, provided with means for adjusting the length of the transport passageway by using the series of transport passageways for one type of copy mediums as a reference to adjust the length of the series of transport passageways for another type of copy mediums. FIG. 2 shows such a passageway adjust means for the feed device having a twostage copy medium magazine but FIG. 3 shows a passageway adjust means for the feed device having a three-stage copy medium magazine.

In the latter embodiment, the passageway adjust means invloves rotation of a screw 27 which causes a member 45 engaged with the transport passageway to be rotated about a pivot 44 to thereby adjust the length of the transport passageway for copy mediums. Thus,

the respective passageways for different type ofcopy mediums join together before the copy process IS entered, so that the different types of copy mediums can be transported under entirely the same conditions and without any adverse effect being caused by the provision of plural copy medium magazine members. It will also be possible to simplify the device by providing a timing function to the transport rollers located at the point where the plural passageways from the respective copy medium magazine members join together. This may be achieved by providing rollers 24 and 25 in the embodiment of FIG. 2,.and by providing rollers 54 and I in the embodiment of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the feed change-over mechanism of the present invention employed in the feed device having a twostage copy medium magazine. In FIG. 4, if a copy medium P1 is to be fed, a switch SW may be closed at its contact A to thereby permit a current flow to an electromagnetic plunger MGl, whose actuator is I thus moved in the direction of arrow to thereby pivot a shift plate 27 about a pivot 28. As a result, one end of the shift plate is moved in the direction of arrow to thereby move an arm 30 in the direction of arrow with t the aid of pivots 29 and 31 which pivotally mount the arm. At this moment, the arm 30 pushes the pivot 31 in the direction of arrow and this in turn causes a drive gear mounting plate 32 to be rotated about a shaft 33in the direction of arrow. This rotation brings the gear 3,.

which is driven from the prime mover M througha clutch CL, into engagement with the gear 4, which in turn is brought into engagement with the gear 5. In view of the possibility that these gears 4 and 5 fail to mesh each other clue to abuttment between the tooth tops of the two gears, a spring S2 is provided to ensure electromagnetic plunger MG2, which in turn operates the described feed changeover mechanism in the direc- 7 tion opposite to that indicated by the arrows, thereby achieving the purpose. Either of these plungers are deenergized after they have completed their operation.=

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, only a single electromagnetic plunger MG3, instead of two plungers used in, the previous embodiment, is employed to bring the drive gear 4 into mesh engagement with the gear 12, and spring force' is utilized to establish mesh engagement of the drive gear 4 with the gear 5. This embodiment can achieve the same effect as that achieved by the embodiment of FIG. 4.

With reference to FIGS. 8 a and b, description will now be made of the operation of a linkage formed by arms 27, 30 and 32. Since the arms 27 and 30 are ar-. ranged such that upon the described change-over operation they move past their dead points (i.e. the position;

in which the pivots 28, 29, 31 for the arms 27, 30, 32 i are disposed on a straight line), even a strong force imparted to the linkage formed by the pivoting shift plate 27 and so on could not break the mesh engagement between the gears and moreover, a force would act in a direction for ensuring the mesh engagement. In the described change-over mechanism, it will be apparent that a lever pivotable about the pivot 28 may be provided and rotated manually or by a rotary solenoid or the like to readily achieve the change-over. FIG. 8 a shows a position in which the drive gear 4 is meshing with the gear 12 and FIG. 8b shows a position in which the drive gear 4 is meshing with the gear 5.

Replenishment of copy mediums may generally be accomplished by withdrawing the copy medium magazine and loading it with copy mediums. In the device such as the device of the present invention wherein feed rollers normally lie at the level'of the uppermost copy mediums, it should be noted that the withdrawal of the magazine must take place after the feed rollers have 'been lifted. Even in such cases, however, withdrawal of the copy medium magazine can be readily ensured by configuring the copy medium feed device of the present invention as will hereinafter be described with respect to FIGS. 9a, b and c. As will be seen in FIG. 9a, a plurality of feed rollers 11 and 15 are rotatably mounted on shift plates 34 and 35 pivotable about pivots 39 and 40, respectively, and these shift plates 34 and 35 are interconnected by an arm 36. As shown in FIG. 9b, the arm 36 is provided with a projection 36', around and to which a wire 42 is wrappedand secured. The wire 42 is deflected by a pulley 41 and secured at the other end to a portion of a lid or like opening-closing means 43 which is opened and closed for replenishment of copy mediums. Thus, the opening-closing movement of the opening-closing means 43 results in simultaneous upward movements of the feed rollers 11 and 15. More specifically, the position change of the opening-closing means 43 from its closed position indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 9b to its open position indicated by full lines causes jump-up of all rollers, thus permitting any desired copy medium magazine member to be withdrawn by a single operation. The arm 36 may be replaced by a wire or a cam having a mechanical durability. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9c, the arm 36 may be connected to the opening-closing means 43 through a linkage formed by an arm 46 having an intermediate universal joint 53, an arm 47 pivotally connected to the arm 46 by means of a pivot 49 and fixed at a pivot 52, and an arm 48 pivotally connected to the arm 47 by means of a pivot 50 and to the opening-closing means 43 by means of a pivot 51.

In the embodiment described hitherto, the feed device has been shown and described as having a twostage copy medium magazine, whereas it is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to the devices having more than two stages of copy medium magazine.

We claim:

1. In a copy medium feed device for a copying apparatus having a copying station including a single set of feed rollers for feeding a copy medium to the copying station, said copy medium feed device comprising:

a plurality of copy medium magazines each containing copy medium; and means for transporting a copy medium from each of said magazines to the feed rollers of the copying station; the improvement comprising said transporting means comprising:

separate transport rollers for each said magazine for contacting the copy medium in each magazine and feeding a copy medium to the feed rollers of the copying station; a driving source;

separate force transmitting means corresponding to each of said separate transport rollers for transmitting a rotating force to each of said separate transport rollers;

shift means including a second drive gear movable between each of said separate force transmitting means for transmitting a rotating force to a selected one of said separate transport rollers through the corresponding separate force transmitting means, and a first drive gear interrelated with said second drive gear;

a single connecting means intermittently connecting said driving source with said first drive gear and transmitting a rotating force thereto; and

passageway means for transporting copy medium from each of said magazines to the feed rollers of the copying station, said passageway means being respectively provided between the feed rollers of the copying station and each of said magazines.

2. The copy medium feedd device of claim 1, wherein said shift means further comprises a first rocker plate on which said movable second drive gear and said first drive gear interrelated therewith are mounted, said first rocker plate being pivotable about the center of the first drive gear to selectively engage the movable second drive gear with one of said separate force transmitting means.

3. The copy medium feed device of claim 2, further comprising a connecting arm pivotably mounted on said first rockerplate, a resilient member for biasing the movable second drive gear mounted on said first rocker plate against one of said separate force transmitting means, a second rocker plate pivotable about a fixed shaft and rotatably engaged with said connecting arm and driving means for pivoting said second rocker plate about said fixed shaft which in turn pivots said first rocker plate through said connecting arm.

4. The copy medium feed device of claim 1 wherein a portion of said passageway means is rotatable about a shaft fixed to the body of the copying apparatus for adjusting the distance between some of said copy medium magazines and the feed rollers of the copying station.

5. In a copy medium feed device for a copying apparatus, said feed device including a plurality of copy medium magazines each containing copy medium and means for transporting a copy medium from each of said magazines to a copying station of the copying apparatus; the improvement comprising:

separate transport rollers for each said magazine for contacting the copy medium therein and feeding a copy medium to the copy station;

separate rocker plates each pivotable about a fixed shaft and on which each of said separate transport rollers is mounted in each of said magazines;

an opening-closing member provided in an outer casing of the copying apparatus and which is openable when loading said magazines with copy medium; and

a common connecting member rotatably engaged with each of said separate rocker plates for simultaneously pivoting said separate rocker plates and moving said separate transport rollers mounted thereon out of contact with the copy medium in each of said magazines.

6. The copy medium feed device of claim 5, further comprising joining means having one end engaging said common connecting member and the other end engaging said opening-closing member, whereby when said opening-closing member'is opened for loading said magazines with copy medium, each of said separate rocker plates is simultaneoulsy pivoted by said common connecting member through said joining means, thereby simultaneously moving said separate transport rollers out of contact with the copy medium insaid magazines.

7. The copy medium feed device of claim 6, wherein said joining means includes a wire.

8. The copy medium feed device of claim 6, wherein said joining means includes alink mechanism.

9. ln a'copy medium feed device for a copying apparatus, said feed device including a plurality of copy medium magazines each containing copy medium and means for transporting a copy medium from each of said magazines to a copying station of the copying apparatus; the improvement comprising:

A. separate transport means for each of said magazines, each transport means including a pivotable rocker plate and a transport roller mounted adjacent one end thereof for contacting the copy mediumand feeding a copy medium to the coyping station; l

a common connecting member rotatably engaged with each pivotable rocker plate of each of said separate transport means adjacent tne end of each rocker plate opposite said transport roller;

C. an opening-closing member provided in an outer casing of the copying apparatus and which is openable when loading said magazines with copy medium;

D. joining means connecting said common connecting member and said opening-closing member, whereby when said opening-closing member is E. means for driving each transport roller of each' separate transport means including 1. a driving source, 2. separate force transmitting means corresponding to each said transport roller for transmitting a rotating force thereto. 3. shift means which includes a. a second drive gear movable between each of said separate force transmitting means for transmitting a rotating force to a selected one of each transport roller through the. corre-- sponding separate force transmitting means, and

b. a first drive gear interrelated with said movable second drive gear, and I 4. a single connecting means intermittently connecting said driving source with said first drive gear and transmitting a rotating force thereto. 10. The copy medium feed device of claim 9 wherein said joining means includes a wire, and wherein said shift means further comprises a first rocker plate on which said pivotable second drive gear and said first,

drive gear interrelated therewith are mounted, said first rocker plate being pivotable about the center of the first drive gear to selectively engage the movable second drive gear with one of said separate force transmitting means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3 920 238 November 18 1975 Patent No. Dated Inventor s TADAYUKI KITAJIMA, ET AL.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, lines 30 and 31, "mechanisms as many as" should read -mechanisms equal in number to-;

Column 2 line 46 "FIG. 2 9a, should read -FIG. 9a,--;

Column 3 line 65 "invloves" should read -involves; Column 4, line 33, "abuttment" should read -abutment-;

Column 6 line 20 "feedd" should read -feed-;

Column 7 line 3 "simultaneoulsy" should read -simultaneously;

Column 7, line 26, "tne" should read -the;

Signed and Sealed this twenty-fourth D 3) Of February 1 9 76 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner uj'Parents and Trademarks 

1. In a copy medium feed device for a copying apparatus having a copying station including a single set of feed rollers for feeding a copy medium to the copying station, said copy medium feed device comprising: a plurality of copy medium magazines each containing copy medium; and means for transporting a copy medium from each of said magazines to the feed rollers of the copying station; the improvement comprising said transporting means comprising: separate transport rollers for each said magazine for contacting the copy medium in each magazine and feeding a copy medium to the feed rollers of the copying station; a driving source; separate force transmitting means corresponding to each of said separate transport rollers for transmitting a rotating force to each of said separate transport rollers; shift means including a second drive gear movable between each of said separate force transmitting means for transmitting a rotating force to a selected one of said separate transport rollers through the corresponding separate force transmitting means, and a first drive gear interrelated with said second drive gear; a single connecting means intermittently connecting said driving source with said first drive gear and transmitting a rotating force thereto; and passageway means for transporting copy medium from each of said magazines to the feed rollers of the copying station, said passageway means being respectively provided between the feed rollers of the copying station and each of said magazines.
 2. separate force transmitting means corresponding to each said transport roller for transmitting a rotating force thereto.
 2. The copy medium feedd device of claim 1, wherein said shift means further comprises a first rocker plate on which said movable second drive gear and said first drive gear interrelated therewith are mounted, said first rocker plate being pivotable about the center of the first drive gear to selectively engage the movable second drive gear with one of said separate force transmitting means.
 3. The copy medium feed device of claim 2, further comprising a connecting arm pivotably mounted on said first rocker plate, a resilient member for biasing the movable second drive gear mounted on said first rocker plate against one of said separate force transmitting means, a second rocker plate pivotable about a fixed shaft and rotatably engaged with said connecting arm and driving means for pivoting said second rocker plate about said fixed shaft which in turn pivots said first rocker plate through said connecting arm.
 3. shift means which includes a. a second drive gear movable between each of said separate force transmitting means for transmitting a rotating force to a selected one of each transport roller through the corresponding separate force transmitting means, and b. a first drive gear interrelated with said movable second drive gear, and
 4. a single connecting means intermittently connecting said driving source with said first drive gear and transmitting a rotating force thereto.
 4. The copy medium feed device of claim 1 wherein a portion of said passageway means is rotatable about a shaft fixed to the body of the copying apparatus for adjusting the distance between soMe of said copy medium magazines and the feed rollers of the copying station.
 5. In a copy medium feed device for a copying apparatus, said feed device including a plurality of copy medium magazines each containing copy medium and means for transporting a copy medium from each of said magazines to a copying station of the copying apparatus; the improvement comprising: separate transport rollers for each said magazine for contacting the copy medium therein and feeding a copy medium to the copy station; separate rocker plates each pivotable about a fixed shaft and on which each of said separate transport rollers is mounted in each of said magazines; an opening-closing member provided in an outer casing of the copying apparatus and which is openable when loading said magazines with copy medium; and a common connecting member rotatably engaged with each of said separate rocker plates for simultaneously pivoting said separate rocker plates and moving said separate transport rollers mounted thereon out of contact with the copy medium in each of said magazines.
 6. The copy medium feed device of claim 5, further comprising joining means having one end engaging said common connecting member and the other end engaging said opening-closing member, whereby when said opening-closing member is opened for loading said magazines with copy medium, each of said separate rocker plates is simultaneoulsy pivoted by said common connecting member through said joining means, thereby simultaneously moving said separate transport rollers out of contact with the copy medium in said magazines.
 7. The copy medium feed device of claim 6, wherein said joining means includes a wire.
 8. The copy medium feed device of claim 6, wherein said joining means includes a link mechanism.
 9. In a copy medium feed device for a copying apparatus, said feed device including a plurality of copy medium magazines each containing copy medium and means for transporting a copy medium from each of said magazines to a copying station of the copying apparatus; the improvement comprising: A. separate transport means for each of said magazines, each transport means including a pivotable rocker plate and a transport roller mounted adjacent one end thereof for contacting the copy medium and feeding a copy medium to the coyping station; B. a common connecting member rotatably engaged with each pivotable rocker plate of each of said separate transport means adjacent tne end of each rocker plate opposite said transport roller; C. an opening-closing member provided in an outer casing of the copying apparatus and which is openable when loading said magazines with copy medium; D. joining means connecting said common connecting member and said opening-closing member, whereby when said opening-closing member is opened, each rocker plate of each separate transport means is simultaneously pivoted by said common connecting member through said joining means, thereby simultaneously moving each transport roller mounted thereon out of contact with the copy medium in each magazine; and E. means for driving each transport roller of each separate transport means including
 10. The copy medium feed device of claim 9 wherein said joining means includes a wire, and wherein said shift means further comprises a first rocker plate on whicH said pivotable second drive gear and said first drive gear interrelated therewith are mounted, said first rocker plate being pivotable about the center of the first drive gear to selectively engage the movable second drive gear with one of said separate force transmitting means. 